Flexible band structure



Jan. l, 13946. A' BLUMSTEIN 2,392,116

FLEXIBLE BAND ISTRUCTURE l Filed Oct. 28, 1944 I N VEN TOR.

/fo ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE( FLEXIBLE BAND STRUCTURE Abraham Blumstein, Forest Hillen. Y. Application October 28, 1944, Serial No. 560,882

7 Claims.

This invention relates to chain structures and is more speciiically directed to the provision of a novel flexible chain of a type particularly adapted for use in articles of jewelry, such as bracelets, wrist watch bands, or the like.

(ci. 59H80) The general object of the invention is to provide a chai-n of the aforementioned character having a highly ornamental appearance and formed of a plurality of rows of members of novel conformation adapted to be assembled, in a very simple and expeditious manner, into a structure which possesses a high degree of flexibility while being sturdy and resistant to wear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chain, as aforesaid, the constituent members whereof are so constructed and 'arranged in the chain that hinged interconnection thereof, to

-provide the complete flexible structure, may be obtained'simply by frictionally entering suitable pins into the members.

A further object i the invention consists in the provision of flattened hollow members adapted to receive and held pins between the opposed Wal/ls, thereof. eachl 0i Said members having at least one of its walls shaped to dene within the members surfaces adapted to partially encase the pins and main-tain the same in predetermined Position Within the member, While permitting re1- ative angular movement of the associatedv elements.

Stillanother object of the invention is to b110- vide a. chain consisting vof a plurality of members of identical conformation which may be produced in series from a material suitably preformed by means of simple operations, so as to considerably simplify the construction of the chain and reduce the cost of manufacture in comparison with similar structures of the prior art.

These and other related objects will become apparent in the following description of the invention illustrated in the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a planview of a length of chain constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of thev structure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is` an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the chain of Fig. 1, with parts of the structure broken off and in section to show the conformation of the members of the chain and the manner -in which they are interconnected.

Fig. 4 isa vertical section on line i-4.0i Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

of a preformed piece of material' from which chain members may be obtained.

Fig. 6 is asimilar perspective View of a preformed piece of material severable to provide chain members according to a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, numeral Il) generally indicates a length ofvchain according to the invention, which is formed of a plurality of juxtaposed rows of substantially flat hollow members I2, to be described. The chain members are arranged end to end in each row, and the members of the juxtaposed rows are interconnected to form an articulate flexible structure in the mannerthat will become hereafter apparent. The length of chain of Fig. 1 is shown, by way of example, as intended for use as a bracelet, and is therefore provided at its opposite ends with any suitable fastener-forming elements, diagrammatically indicated at I3, secured-to end elements of the structure in a conventional manner.

The chain members l2, which are all identical in construction, may be advantageously obtained from preformed pieces of material Id produced, for instance, by flattening and swaging a suitable metal tube and severed at uniform intervals along parallel vertical planes, as indicated at I5 in Fig. 5, to separate the individual members.

As best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the resulting members I2 is a substantially at, hollow, elongated structure having open sides, and embodies a at wall I6 and a wall I'I opposed thereto provided with a pair of parallel curved portions or convolutions I8, spaced from the opposite ends of the member by equal distances.

Said convolutions I8, which extend transversely of the wall Il in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal edges thereof, dene on the inner face of the wall a pair of arcuate surfaces or faces and with the inner face of the opposed wall I6. Lateral displacement of the pins relative to the member is therefore prevented while relative angular movement of the associated elements is permitted, and the pins and the channels defined by the convolutions I8 provide hinged connections for the members I2 which are assembled to form the chain in the manner that willnow be described.

As aforesaid, the members I2 are arranged to form a plurality ofrows juxtaposed to'each other, f Fig. 5 is. a greatly enlarged perspective view 55, and each row consists ofthe desired number of members arranged end to end. The intermediate or alternate rows are offset relative to the rows adjacent thereto, so that the open sides of the members of such rows will extend in juxtaposition to the open sides of contiguous pairs of members of the adjacent rows. The transversely extending arcuate surfaces or channels defined by the convolutions I8 of the members of the alternate rows will therefore be alined with opposed channels of contiguous members of the adjacent i rows, or, in other words, the irst channel from one end of each member of the alternate rows will be alined with the rst channel from the other end of each member of the adjacent rows.

The pins are entered into the channels alined as described, substantially in a force-fit operation, in frictional engagement with the channel surfaces and with the opposed inner faces of the at walls I6 of the members. As will be apparent, there are thereby provided hinged connections between the members of the alternate rows and the contiguous members of the rows adjacent thereto and there is formed an articulated chain structure composed of a plurality of units, each consisting of members I 2 of the alined rows mounted on a pair of pins 20, interconnected by members I 2 of the alternate or offset rows hinged thereto and functioning as links for said units.

The frictional engagement of the pins with the aforesaid surfaces of the members is sufficient to maintain the various elements in assembled relation while permitting the required relative angularv movement of the associated units and link members. However, if desired to further enhance the structure, the pins 20 may be rigidly secured to members of the respective units in any suitable manner, as by soldering the ends thereof to surfaces of said members.

As a result of the construction described, the chain possesses an unusually high degree of ilexibility and may be readily wound upon itself or folded in superimposed sections; on the other the security of the assembly and the strength of hand, the construction and the manner of inter-rV connection of the various elements is such as to insure linear formation of the chain and to render practically impossible any objectionable twisting thereof.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1,v the chain comprises ve juxtaposed rows of member a0 I2, and is given a particular distinctive appearance by inverting the position of successive members of each row so' as to provide alternate flat and curved walls I6 and I'I. Itis, however, evident that a greater or smaller number of rows .may be used, and that different arrangements of the flat and curved faces of the members may be provided as desired.

The members 22 that may be obtained from the preformed material 23 illustrated in Fig. 6, differ from the members I2 hereinbefore described in the provision of opposed curved walls 24, 25 of identical conformation, both provided with a pair of spaced transverse convolutions 26,?1

2l, so as to define within the members opposed arcuate surfaces or channels adapted to surround almost entirely the pin and to enhance the security of the interconnection of the members.

and the relative disposition of the various rows will remain unchanged in the modiedvform of and illustrated in the drawing without depart- The arrangement of the members in each row4 ing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

I claim:

l. A exible chain structure comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rows of hollow chain members having open sides and arranged end to end in each row, each of said members having a wall embodying a pair of spaced channels formed transversely of the wall on the inner face thereof, the alternate rows of members being offset relative to the rows adjacent thereto to aline the channels of the members thereof with opposed channels of contiguous members of said adjacent rows, and a plurality of pins entered into the members of the juxtaposed rows in frictional engagement with the surface of the alined channels and the opposed walls of the members.

2. A iiexible chain structure comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rows of elongated hollow chain members having open sides and arranged end to end in each row, each of said members having a at wall and a wall opposed to said at wall embodying a pair of spaced transverse channels formed on the inner face thereof, the alternate rows of members being offset relative to the rows adjacent thereto to aline the channels of the members thereof with opposed channels of contiguous members of said adjacent rows, and a plurality of pins entered into the members of the juxtaposed rows in frictional engagement with the surface of the alined channels and the opposed ilat walls of the members.

3. A iiexible chain structure comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rows of hollow chain members having open sides and arranged end to end in each row, each of said members having at least one wall shaped to form a pair of spaced parallel transverse convolutions defining a pair of channels within the member, the alternate rows of members being offset relative to the rows adjacent thereto to aline the channels of the members thereof with opposed channels of contiguous members of said adjacent rows, and a plurality of pins entered into the members of the juxtaposed rows in engagement with the alined channels and the opposed walls of the members, to hingedly interconnect the members of the alternate rows with the members of the rows adjacent thereto.

4. AA iiexible chain structure comprising a plurality of juxtaposed rows of hollow chain members having open sides and arranged end to end in each rc-w, each of said members having opposed Walls formed with spaced transverse 'convolutions dening a pair of channels on the inner face of each wall, the alternate rows of members being offset relative to the rows adjacent thereto to dispose the channels of the members thereof in alinement with opposed channels of contiguous members of said adjacent rows, and pins entered into the members of the juxtaposed rows in frictional engagement with the surfaces of the channels alined as aforementioned, to hingedly interconnect the members of the alternate rows with the members of the rows adjacent thereto.

5. In a chain structure, a plurality ,of hollow chain members having open sides and each comprising substantially parallel Walls. one of said walls being formed with a pair o f spaced transverse convolutions defining a pair of channels on the inner face thereof. said channels being adapted to engage pins passing through the member and to cooperate with the inner face of the other -wall to hingedly maintain lsaid pins in predetermined position within the member.

6. In a chain structure, a plurality of hollow chain members having open sides and each comprising substantially parallel walls. each of said walls being formed with a pair of spaced transverse convolutions defining a pair of channels on the inner face thereof, said pairs of channels being adapted to engage pins passing through the member and to hingedly maintain the same in predetermined position within the member.

'7. A flexible chain structure comprising at least a pair of juxtaposed rows of hollow chain members having open sides and arranged end to end in each row. each of said mem-bers having at least one wall formed with a. pair of spaced channels extending transversely of the wall on the inner face thereof, one of said rows of members being offset relative to the other to aline the channels of the members thereof with opposed channels of contiguous members of said other row, and pins entered into the members of the juxtaposed rows in engagement with the surface of the alined channels and the walls of the members opposed to i0 the channels.

ABRAHAM BLUMSTEIN. 

